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Since the introduction of the Scalarworks LDM for the Aimpoint Micro series, we’ve all been wondering when the LDM (now rebranded LEAP) mount technologies and radically skeletonized design would be applied to magnified optics. Well, the answer is about 6-8 week from the time of this posting.

Scalarworks has given us a sneak peek at their upcoming LEAP Scope Mount. The mount is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum, features a cantilevered design with dual scope rings for proper eye relief on AR type rifles, weighs in at under 5.5 ounces, and has 2 Quantum QD Screws for joining the mount to the rail.

The extent of Scalarworks’ efforts to take weight out of this mount in a way that keeps it rigid and durable aren’t really evident until you see the under side of the mount (see image below). While the mount has a solid appearance, the view from the bottom reveals the large pockets of material that has been removed. Weight has also been removed with flutes on the scope rings rather than skeletonization. This approach reduces weight but retains surface area for gripping the optic.

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Natchez Shooters Supplies is offering the Burris XTR II 1-5×25 Ballistic 5.56 with G3 Reticle and Low Mil Knobs for under $460 and their are active discount codes that will save you even more (“DO180235” reduces the price by another $35). The normal retails price on this optic is just under $800!

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February 14, 2018 (Redmond, WA) – B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the M2A1F Flash Hider, developed in response to requests for a more durable flash suppression solution for the M2A1. Leveraging patented flash suppression design, the M2A1F preserves the superior performance and durability that the warfighter has come to expect from B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. products.

COMPACT, RUGGED AND RELIABLE

The M2A1F is made from a specifically selected alloy that has been heat treated to provide increased durability, and reliability over current competitive devices. Its left-hand thread pitch allows for quick and easy installation, and eliminates risk of separation from the barrel by self-tightening as shots are fired.

The M2A1F is a truly compact M2A1 flash hider. Measuring in at only 4.625” long, the M2A1F represents only a small increase in overall length of the weapon platform when compared to other legacy M2 variants, and does not negatively affect the cyclic rate of the short recoil M2 system.

ENGINEERED FOR DAY AND NIGHT OPERATIONS

The M2A1F’s patented open-tine design is internally serrated to diminish visible signature in both day and night engagements. The effectiveness of the M2A1F’s flash suppression supports uninterrupted use with night vision devices, eliminating momentary blindness and flash distortion.

ENHANCED CAPABILITY

B.E. Meyers & Co. is ready to equip users currently fielding the M2A1 HMG. The M2A1F is a superior solution for those looking for rugged, compact, and effective flash suppression, and can be easily fitted without any additional modifications to the weapon. With the B.E. Meyers M2A1F, the durable materials and design reduces risk of failure, improving confidence of reliability in all adverse conditions.

ABOUT B.E. MEYERS & CO., INC.

B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. is a family owned business that prides itself on serving the needs of the warfighter with passion, ingenuity, and innovation. They design, engineer, and manufacture optoelectronic and defense solutions for the U.S. and her allies, specifically for those who are forward in the fight, both today and into the future.

The company’s core capabilities include visible, IR, and SWIR laser systems for pointing, illuminating, and Hail and Warning. These technologies are integrated onto various platforms including: crew served weapons, individual weapons, and fixed/rotary wing aircraft. Customers include all branches of the U.S. Military; Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies; foreign defense and security organizations; and defense contractors worldwide.

Established in 1974, B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. is an ISO 9001:2008-certified manufacturer of optoelectronic devices. Its business offices, engineering, and manufacturing operations are located in Redmond, Washington.

For more information about B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. and their products visit www.bemeyers.com.

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It is pretty much standard for modern hiking packs to have water bottle pockets on one or both sides of the pack. However, many of these water bottle pockets are difficult to reach without stopping and taking your pack off which is why I either lash a bottle to my shoulder strap or carry one on the waist belt of my pack with an Outdoor Research Water Bottle Tote.

The Water Bottle Tote attaches to your pack via a hook and loop flap that is semi-rigid. This attachment system is versatile and fits a wide range of pack belts and webbing sizes or even your pants belt. I have been able to figure out an accessible and functional way to attach this pouch to every pack I have tried it with. The semi-rigid flap also seems to help the pouch bear weight without sagging.

It has proven to be very durable. I have used mine for years and, apart from some trail dust, you wouldn’t know it. It is also relatively light at 1.6 ounces. That isn’t exactly ultra light territory but it doesn’t cost like an ultralight pouch either.

It is sized well for most 1L bottles. I have even carried very tall, narrow bottles like the Smart Water bottles that I like to re-use for the trail. The cinch top allows the user to secure just about any bottle that will fit in the opening of the pouch.

Water bottle pouches are probably the least exciting thing you will read about all day but… This one is simple, versatile, durable, readily available, affordable, and it works. Believe it or not, that isn’t necessarily an easy-to-find combination of attributes for a water bottle pouch. This isn’t sexy gear but it is good, functional, and necessary gear (for me at least).

If you are lucky, you might be able to find these at a local outdoor retailer. If not, I bought mine from Amazon: OR Water Bottle Tote on Amazon. This is an affiliate link.

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If you are looking to use your new Ruger PC Carbine in a PCC match our you just want to customize it, Taccom has a new Magazine Funnel for you. They offer an entire line of 3D printed Magazine Funnels for carbines and the Ruger PC Carbine is their newest addition to that line. Taccom LLC prints the Magazine Funnels from 80 durometer TPU filament which is durable and slightly flexible. They state that it will not break and the layers will not separate.

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My family and I live in a sparsely populated area of a sparsely populated state. Sometimes it can feel like we are completely isolated from the big city problems that we left behind years ago but, every once in a while, something comes along to remind us that no one is ever completed insulated from the types of situations that prepared people prepare for.

You probably have various plans for your family like we do. If “A” happens, we do “B”. If “X” happens, we do “Y”. You might even drill those plans on occasion like a fire drill. But what happens when something you didn’t specifically plan for happens? Well, the good news is that some planning – any planning at all really – can help even when something that you could never foresee happens.

Trouble can always find you… even here.

Our Story

I will shorten this story significantly so I don’t lose you in the third paragraph. It is a much longer story that I may share sometime as there were a ton of lessons learned for our family. For now, I will start at the middle of my lunch break a few weeks ago when we received a text message from our county alert system telling people to stay away from the road we live on and to report anyone suspicious. This road is very long and we live on the very beginning of it. We wondered where on our road the emergency might be happening but I guess I didn’t think enough of it to take immediate action.

I finished eating lunch while thinking about the text message and resolved that I would find out more after lunch. I put on my coat, started to head out the door and that is when I noticed that there were sheriff squad cars, lots of squad cars, parked at the end of our driveway. The police emergency which was clearly a man hunt wasn’t just on our road, it was happening on our property.

I turned back inside and began the process of notifying our other family that lived on the property of this while also rallying my own family. My wife and I began the process of securing our home – retrieving a firearm for the adults who were not already armed and double checking every window and door lock. This, we found, made our young daughters quite nervous as they didn’t fully understand what was happening but knew it was at least a little serious. So, we also started to give them tasks like taking their coats off their hooks and staging them in case we needed exit quickly, putting on socks, then boots, and similar tasks to take their minds off what was happening because by this time, they were fully aware of police presence.

Almost Any Plan Will Do

If you think about it, most of your short term plans for your family’s safety require similar actions. The stimulus that begins the plan may be wildly different but the course of action set in place by that stimulus is likely to be similar across many situations.

The actions that I described above were planned ahead of time though not necessarily because we thought there would be a manhunt on our property. We never considered that could happen and it likely never will happen again. The actions we took really had more in common with plans for a quick moving wild fire (which is a major issue in our part of the world) than it did with any plans we might have for an intruder. We essentially needed to shelter in place with the knowledge that we may need to leave immediately. So, while the event of a man hunt on our property wasn’t necessarily planned for specifically, we were able to draw from other plans to deal with the issue.

Here are some lessons on planning that we drew from this in hindsight:

Keep plans flexible. Many of the plans you have for your family in the home will revolve around ways to exit the home right away and ways to shelter in place so keep those plans flexible enough that they can be applied to many situations.

Practice your plans. If you have plans, drill them so that the parts of the plan are familiar to everyone. You never know which parts of the plan you may need for an unforeseen situation.

Give everyone a job. Plan for your children so that you can have tasks ready for them to complete. This was extremely helpful in occupying the minds of our kids in a stressful situation.

As I said, the above is an extremely short version of the story. It did end well with the suspect being found 20 feet up a tree down in our woods. There was 16-18″ of snow on the ground at the time so the sheriff’s department was able to track him effectively and the tense part of the situation only lasted about 2 hours.

I’m glad that we had some plans in place even if they weren’t specifically for a man hunt on our property.

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BMK Ventures is offering 20% off their already discounted prices on Para-X Treatment Tubes. These tubes contain proven components and are designed with versatile packaging so they can be stored in small spaces or repackaged in a pouch you provide. They have both the IFAK and Bleeder versions on sale. Use code “STB20%” at checkout to save.

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Debuted at SHOT Show 2018, the Accu-Tac HD-50 (Heavy Duty 50BMG) is the newest product in the AccuTac family of Bipods and was designed specifically for use on 50 BMG caliber rifles. The HD-50 is our most robust bipod which is achieved by making the Arm Lock Lugs larger to withstand the heavy recoil of a 50 BMG. The HD-50 bipod also has the ability to Cant and has a very sturdy throw lever allowing you to adjust the tension and enhance the ability to lock the canting motion in to place. The legs can be extended into nine different height options and its wider center hub delivers more stability and strength to support larger heavy rifles.

The Accu-Tac HD-50 bipod will be available soon at all Accu-Tac dealers as well as www.Accu-Tac.com where you can also view our full line of world class bipods, bipod accessories, muzzle brakes and scope rings.. For more information please contact us at info@accu-tac.com.

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Beez Combat Systems (BCS) has offered a unique service for designing and producing custom armor carriers to fit your armor for years. Now, with the introduction of BCS’ laser cut GRID fabric, they are updating the form and available options for this service.

The new options aren’t just limited to the use of GRID fabric. Custom Armor Carrier customers now also have the choice of First Spear Tubes or ROC80 to secure their cummerbund and their choice of liner materials (3Dmesh or HEXCEL).